Wrist watch case



J. G. FORD WRIST WATCH CASE July 31, 1951 Filed Feb. 19, 1947 Inventor James 6. Ford Patented July 31 I951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRIST WATCH CASE James G. Ford, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 19, 1947, Serial No. 729,574 1 Claim. (01. 58-105) This invention relates generally to watch cases, and more particularly to a wrist watch case having a large recess on one side thereof to contain a watch movement and provided on the other side thereof with a pad of semi-resilient material, secured to the case in a novel manner.

.A primary object of this invention is to provide a pad on the side of a wrist watch case to increase the comfort with which the wrist watch may be worn, the resilient material of which this pad is constructed may be ordinary leather.

Another object of this invention is to provide a watch case with a pad of this character in such manner that the pad may be easily removed, but will ordinarily be usable over long periods of time without repair or maintenance of any kind.

Another object of this invention is to provide a watch case of any character, including watch cases of a type not adapted to be worn on the wrist, with a semi-resilient pad on the rear face thereof, this pad providing a ready cushion for the watch when the same is placed upon any rigid support when not in use.

And a last object to be specifically mentioned is to provide a watch case which will not be prohibitively expensive to manufacture, and which may even considerably lessen the cost of manufacture in some cases, which is completely convenient and simple to use. and which will give generally efiicient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in view this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail, and particularly set forth in th appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a wrist watch and fragmentar portions of the wrist strap, to show the environment wherewith this invention is to be used;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of a wrist watch with this invention incorporated thereon;

Figure 3 is an edge elevational view of a watch case constructed accordin to this invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the center line 4-4 in Figure 2 and rotated through ninety degrees;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, corresponding with Figure 4 but showing a modified and simplified embodiment of this invention, wherein the pad retaining bezel is deleted; and

Figure 6 is a similar view of a second modification of this invention in which the body portion of the watch case is unitary.

Similar characters of referenc designate similar or identical parts and portions throughout the specification and throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that this invention is adapted to be used with a watch of substantially standard character having a crystal Ill, a bezel l2 to retain the crystal in place, side arms l4 and a wrist strap l6. These portions of the watch case are not altered by this invention.

The main body portion l8 of the watch case is adapted to be used with this bezel l2, and is constructed with a large internal cavity or chamber 20 to accommodate the watch movement generally indicated by the numeral 22, according to conventional practice.

According to this invention, the rear plate or back of the watch case is removable and of snapon character, having an inwardly disposed peripheral flange member 24 and the major portions of the member being generally flat as indicated at 26. This member has also an integral flange member 28 which is disposed outwardly, or in the opposite direction to the flange member 24. A pad 30 of semi-resilient material such as leather, and proportioned to fit snugly within the flange 28 and to extend outwardly beyond the top of said flange, is firml retained in place on the portion 26, by means of a bezel 32. This bezel 32 may overlap an outer edge of the pad 3|], but it i preferred that a relatively thin peripheral flange 34 be provided on the pad 30, and the bezel 32 be adapted to clamp this flange 34 between the bezel and the outer top face of the flange 28, the bezel 32 being interiorly notched in a proper manner to provide for tight engagement of the inner face of the bezel against the marginal portions 36 of the back of the case and at the same time provide considerable pressure on the portions 34. It will be noted that this structure may be simplified according to the individual preference of the manufacturer and the modified form shown in Figure 5 illustrates how this bezel 32 may be deleted from the structure and the back of the case 38 adapted to snap-on to the rear face of the casing l8 by a flange 40 which is similar to the flange 24 already described, but having a simple peripheral flange 42 extending in the opposite direction to the flange 40. In this simplified form the pad 44 is formed with a marginal groove 46 adapted to engage the flange 42, the inner portion of the pad 44 being cemented to the member 38 and extending marginally to cover the flange 42, that is, this pad 44 extends to the outer edge of the watch, in a manner slightly difierent to that shown in Figure 4.

In the second modification, illustrated in Figure 6, the back 48 of the case is formed integral with the main body portion l8, and the peripheral flange 50, similar to the flange 42 is formed in the simplified manner illustrated, While the pad 44 is secured within the peripheral flange 50 and cemented, as indicated at 52 to the back 48.

Many other useful modifications of this invention may be resorted to all within the scope and spirit of this invention, and though there has been shown a particular embodiment of this invention and two modifications thereof, this application is not limited to this embodiment and modifications, but it i desired to include in the scope of thi invention the construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions substantially as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A wrist watch case having a main body portion having a chamber to receive a watch movement, a rear plate secured to the main body portion and having an inwardly disposed peripheral flange member and an outwardly disposed flange member, a leather pad of semi-resilient material JAMES G. FORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 380,869 Debrinke Apr. 10, 1888 1,306,140 Depollier June 10, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 129,046 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1928 208,983 Switzerland June 1, 1940 217,545 Switzerland Feb. 2, 1942 362,229 Great Britain Dec. 3, 1931 

